Zur Bewertung von Kreditbeziehungen in der deutschen Literatur des Mittelalters am Beispiel des ‚Iwein‘ Hartmanns von Aue

Abstract

In Hartmann von Aue’s novel, there is a re­markable passage during the final duel between the table knights Iwein and Gawein in which the fight is described using metaphors from the semantic field of moneylending. Analysing the use of credit terminology in such a prominent place can provide new perspectives on the materiality of credit relations in two respects. On the one hand, the use of this terminology suggests that the audience was already familiar with the underlying credit mechanisms around 1200 which raises the question of the social valuation of the metaphor. On the other hand, although money is actually being talked about, it is not about money, but about the distribution of honour. Credit and repayment are viewed positively; this does not yet correspond to the devaluation of the usurer in later literature.

Keywords Hartmann von Aue; ‘Iwein’; Credit; Duel; Metaphor; Honour